Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told Newsmax on Monday that news of the Trump administration's plan to extend Obamacare subsidies is a welcome development — but he insisted it must be paired with serious cost-cutting reforms in the health insurance sector.
"This has been a plan that a lot of folks have been talking about," Murphy said on "The Chris Salcedo Show."
"Obamacare was written by insurance companies for insurance companies, and it exploded. And that's why the Democrats ... had their temporary COVID relief to further expand the policies. Now they're due to expire. And this is problematic for a lot of people in the country," he said.
Under the Trump administration's draft plan, Obamacare subsidy eligibility would be capped at 700% of the federal poverty level, according to the Associated Press.
The White House is also considering requiring every enrollee to pay at least something toward their coverage — a move that would end the zero-premium plans created during the pandemic.
One option would mandate a minimum contribution of 2% of income, or at least $5 a month for lower-tier plans, a change Republicans argue is needed to crack down on fraud and restore accountability to the program.
Murphy pointed to falling insurance-company stock prices and rising premiums as proof the current system is under pressure — "they have to have a way to bolster their stock, bolster their profits. So they're raising premiums."
Murphy added that, while extending subsidies is "a good part of what's happening," he emphasized, "we also really, really need to work concurrently on how we lower healthcare costs in the country."
He warned the left wants "more insurance-company profits … push[ing] towards a single-payer system," and said unless immediate action is taken, "it will blow up in our face … if we did not do something in the short term to push these subsidies."
Murphy told Salcedo he supports the extension of subsidies as a near-term fix.
"I'm glad the president's working towards this. We have to do something," he said.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.